The Ghosts of Aquinnah Read Online Free PDF Page A

warm in the cold. There was no one to comfort her at all.
    ****

 
     
     
     
     
    2013
     
     
     
     
    H annah leaned against the railing of the Island Home ferry and watched as the town of Vineyard Haven slowly came into view. She wore a navy colored trench coat that she belted tightly over her white jeans in order to shield herself from the wind that was an inevitable presence on the ferry, regardless of the season. She was grateful she had remembered to pull her long brown hair into a pony tail before she left her car on the lower level of the boat and ascended to the upper deck. No hair could withstand the onslaught of the ocean wind during the crossing from the mainland to the island.
    She had slipped on her Indianapolis Colts cap for good measure and now pushed a strand of blowing hair from the rim of the hat. No matter how long she lived in Massachusetts, she'd never be a Patriots fan. The Colts were her team, which was yet another bone of contention between her and Jon. She tried to remember the last time they'd had a conversation that didn't involve some sort of argument and drew a blank.
    Hannah pulled her cap down lower over her face and pushed all thoughts of Jon from her mind. She'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't think about him or their relationship while she was on the Vineyard and she needed to maintain her resolve. His openly scornful reaction to her trip was enough to set her teeth on edge, and she had better things to think about now. She was going to find out who the mysterious woman on the webcam was and she had no intention of leaving the island until she had an answer.
    The ferry moved closer to the island, and Hannah could see the Stop & Shop grocery that greeted visitors as they drove off the boat. The famous Black Dog Tavern came into view, its iconic Labrador manning the docks. Seagulls glided alongside the boat in the hope that a few of the ferry's passengers would toss chunks of bread their way. As the horn sounded to alert motorists to return to their cars in preparation for departing the boat, Hannah took in a deep breath of the salty sea air. It felt good in her lungs.
    Hannah buckled herself into her Honda Accord and, within minutes, left the Island Home behind and drove onto dry land. She drove onto Water Street and quickly made the turn onto State Road, heading towards Aquinnah and the Gay Head lighthouse.
    Hannah was happy to be moving “up island,” which was actually to the south of Vineyard Haven, because it was as far as she could get from Oak Bluffs and still be on the island. She had no desire to be anywhere near the town that contained far too many memories of her parents. While she'd always loved the Aquinnah area, she wasn't nearly as familiar with it as she was with the towns of Oak Bluffs and neighboring Vineyard Haven. The southern tip of the island was removed from the crowds and noise of the towns and therefore much calmer, which was exactly what Hannah wanted.
    Hannah drove along State Road and passed the overlook of beautiful Vineyard Sound. She could hear her father insisting they pull off and take photos of 10 year old Hannah in front of the view. No matter how many times he’d been to the island, he was always the tourist, and drove her mother and grandparents to distraction with his insistence on stopping at every tourist attraction the island had to offer. Hannah could hear her mother chiding him and quickly blocked the voices from her mind.
    She considered stopping at Cronig's Market to get some supplies and food for her stay, but changed her mind as soon as she saw the store's crowded parking lot. In spite of the fact that Memorial Day was still a few weeks away, the island was already bustling with visitors in anticipation of the summer season. Hannah wanted no part of it.
    Hannah had booked a room at the Hammett House, a bed and breakfast about ten minutes away from Aquinnah in the neighboring town of Chilmark. She had read up on the house before making